December 23, 2024 01:32 PM UTC

Holy Crap Boebert Bestie Matt Gaetz's Ethics Report Is Bad

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• by: Colorado Pols

CNN reports today on the release by the House Ethics Committee of their investigative report into allegations of years of sexual misconduct by now-former Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, who was abortively nominated by President re-elect Donald Trump to serve as perhaps the most unqualified Attorney General ever to presume worthiness to serve as the nation’s top law enforcement officer. After Gaetz withdrew from the AG nomination there was some discussion of the possibility that he might rescind his resignation from Congress…and now we know why he chose not to do that:

The House Ethics Committee found evidence that former Rep. Matt Gaetz paid tens of thousands of dollars to women for sex or drugs on at least 20 occasions, including paying a 17-year-old girl for sex in 2017, according to the panel’s report on the Florida Republican released Monday.

The committee concluded in its bombshell document that Gaetz violated Florida state laws, including the state’s statutory rape law, as the GOP-led panel chose to take the rare step of releasing a report about a former member who resigned from Congress.

“The Committee determined there is substantial evidence that Representative Gaetz violated House Rules and other standards of conduct prohibiting prostitution, statutory rape, illicit drug use, impermissible gifts, special favors or privileges, and obstruction of Congress,” panel investigators wrote.

The Committee’s seven damning findings summarized:

• From at least 2017 to 2020, Representative Gaetz regularly paid women for engaging in sexual activity with him.
• In 2017, Representative Gaetz engaged in sexual activity with a 17-year-old girl.
• During the period 2017 to 2019, Representative Gaetz used or possessed illegal drugs, including cocaine and ecstasy, on multiple occasions.
• Representative Gaetz accepted gifts, including transportation and lodging in connection with a 2018 trip to the Bahamas, in excess of permissible amounts.
• In 2018, Representative Gaetz arranged for his Chief of Staff to assist a woman with whom he engaged in sexual activity in obtaining a passport, falsely indicating to the U.S. Department of State that she was a constituent.
• Representative Gaetz knowingly and willfully sought to impede and obstruct the Committee’s investigation of his conduct.
• Representative Gaetz has acted in a manner that reflects discreditably upon the House.

We can see now what a lifeline the nomination to serve as Attorney General was for Gaetz, which if successful could have catapulted Gaetz beyond congressional scrutiny to a position where these allegations would fade away much like Trump’s own legal troubles have evaporated since he won re-election. Gaetz’s sudden resignation from Congress after being nominated was intended to forestall the release of this report, since the Ethics Committee’s usual practice is not to release reports about former members. Unfortunately for Gaetz, key details like the alleged sex with a minor were already leaking while Gaetz was holding his initial meetings with Senators for the AG nomination. It’s very difficult to imagine in hindsight that Gaetz could have gotten through the confirmation process without this report being released in full.

Trump’s ill-fated nomination of Matt Gaetz to serve as Attorney General in full view of the allegations against him is just the latest example of Trump’s longstanding contempt for the nation’s law enforcement institutions. Trump’s surpassing requirement for personal loyalty over every other consideration led to the nomination of a man not only lacking the relevant experience but, like Trump, a man whose own wrongdoing makes him what would otherwise be a comically unthinkable candidate for the job.

Locally, as with any occasion when Matt Gaetz is in the news, we’re watching the social media orifices of Gaetz’s close friend from the George Santos Memorial Back bench Rep. Lauren Boebert to see if she joins in the defense of Gaetz now that the damning details and corroborating evidence assembled by the Ethics Committee has been released. Boebert as recently as this weekend reaffirmed that she and Gaetz are the “greatest friends.” If Boebert were to actually read the full report on her friend’s alleged conduct, exploiting young women in financial need for drug-fueled sexual predation, she might find it harder to defend.

We know that’s not going to happen. Boebert either doesn’t believe the allegations, or she doesn’t care. We’ll leave it to readers to debate which one it is.